mreilly.icestation-第20部分

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　One　yard　away。　
　He　looked　up　desperately　at　Sarah；　and　she　dropped　to　her　knees　at　the　edge　of　the　deck。　
　He　got　there。　Slammed　into　the　metal　rim　of　the　deck　like　a　Olympic　swimmer　hitting　the　wall　at　the　end　of　a　race。　He　reached　up；　grabbed　Sarah's　outstretched　hand。　Sarah　was　just　beginning　to　haul　him　up　onto　the　deck　when　suddenly　the　water　behind　him　parted　and　one　of　the　killer　whales　burst　up　out　of　it。　The　big　whale　opened　its　mouth　wide　and　enveloped　Conlon's　body　from　foot　to　chest。　
　Conlon　went　bug…eyed　as　the　killer　clamped　down　hard　on　his　chest　and　Sarah　tried　desperately　to　hold　onto　his　hand；　but　the　killer　was　too　strong。　When　it　dropped　back　down　into　the　water　it　yanked　so　hard　on　Cordon's　body　that　Sarah　felt　the　terrified　scientist's　fingernails　scratch　her　skin　and　draw　blood；　and　then　suddenly　his　hand　was　out　of　her　grasp　and　she　fell　to　the　deck　and　watched　in　horror　as　Warren　Conlon　disappeared　under　the　water　right　in　front　of　her　eyes。　
　
　A　few　yards　away；　Mother　and　Rebound　were　also　approaching　the　deck。　
　Rebound　swam　hard　as　Mother　turned　in　the　water　and　fired　her　MP…5　under　the　surface。　One　of　the　first　things　they　teach　you　at　Parris　Island；　the　legendary　training　camp　of　the　United　States　Marine　Corps；　is　the　resistance　that　water　offers　against　gunfire。　Indeed；　the　average　bullet　will　lose　nearly　all　of　its　velocity　in　less　man　two　meters　of　water。　After　that　it　will　just　slow　to　a　halt　and　sink　to　the　bottom。　
　Such　physical　laws；　however；　didn't　seem　to　be　bothering　Mother　right　now。　She　just　waited　until　the　killers　got　close　and　then　she　fired　hard。　The　bullets　appeared　to　penetrate　the　outer　skin；　but　they　didn't　seem　to　do　much　damage。　Mother　fired　and　hit；　and　the　killers　momentarily　darted　away；　but　they　always　seemed　to　e　back；　unhurt；　undeterred。　
　Rebound　hit　the　deck　and　was　about　to　climb　up　onto　it　when　he　turned　and　saw　Mother　behind　him。　
　She　was　looking　down　to　her　left；　her　gun　arm　jolting　repeatedly　as　she　fired　at　something　under　the　water。　And　then　suddenly　her　gun　arm　stopped　its　jolting　movement　and　Mother　looked　confused。　Her　gun　wasn't　firing　anymore。　
　Frozen　ammo。　
　Rebound　watched　as　Mother　shook　her　MP…5　in　disgust；　as　if　shaking　it　would　somehow　make　it　work　again。　
　It　was　then　that　Rebound　saw　an　ominous　dark　shadow　slithering　upward　underneath　the　surface；　silently　approaching　Mother　from　her　right。　
　〃Mother！　Check　right！〃　
　Mother　heard　him　and　spun　instantly　and　saw　the　killer　whale　rising　beneath　her。　Her　gun　now　useless；　Mother　just　pivoted　in　the　water　and　lifted　her　legs　up　sharply　and　the　killer　barreled　past　her；　missing　her　feet　by　inches。　
　But　then；　just　when　Rebound　thought　it　had　passed　her　by；　the　killer　whale　abruptly　changed　course　and　broke　the　surface　of　the　water　and　wrapped　its　jaws　around　Mother's　gun　hand。　
　Mother　yelled　in　pain　and　released　her　MP…5；　yanking　her　hand　free　just　as　the　whale　bit　down　on　the　gun。　
　A　gash　of　red　appeared　instantly　above　her　wrist。　Blood　slicked　her　entire　forearm。　
　But　her　hand　was　still　there。　
　Mother　didn't　care。　Now　gunless；　she　just　swam　like　hell　for　the　water's　edge。　
　Rebound　hoisted　himself　onto　the　deck　and　turned　and　urged　Mother　on。　
　〃Move　it；　Mother！　Pick　it　up；　baby！〃　
　Mother　swam。　
　Rebound　knelt　at　the　edge　of　the　deck。　
　Black　shadows　cut　back　and　forth　behind　Mother's　frantically　swimming　frame。　
　Black　shapes　everywhere。　Too　many　of　them。　And　then；　suddenly；　it　dawned　on　Rebound。　
　Mother　wasn't　going　to　get　to　the　deck　in　time。　
　Then；　as　if　right　on　cue；　a　massive　black　silhouette　appeared　in　the　water　right　behind　Mother's　frantically　kicking　legs。　
　It　closed　in　slowly；　through　the　rippling　translucent　water；　and　Rebound　saw　a　pink　slit　appear　across　its　enormous　black…and…white　jawline。　
　Its　mouth　was　opening。　
　Teeth　appeared　and　Rebound　felt　his　blood　run　cold。　
　Through　the　crystalline　water　he　saw　the　black　shadow　slowly　rise　and　rise　behind　Mother　until　it　overtook　her　legs　and　allowed　them　to　kick　inside　its　wide　open　mouth。　
　And　then；　with　an　ominous　sense　of　finality；　the　big　whale's　jaws　closed　slowly　around　Mother's　knees。　
　
　
　
　The　jolt　that　Mother　experienced　was　incredible　in　its　ferocity。　
　Rebound　watched　in　horror　as　the　killer　whale　yanked　her　under。　The　water　around　Mother　started　to　froth　and　bubble　and　blood　began　to　fan　out；　but　Mother　was　struggling　fiercely；　putting　up　a　hell　of　a　fight。　
　Suddenly　she　broke　the　surface　and　so　did　the　killer。　Somehow；　during　their　underwater　scuffle；　Mother　must　have　managed　to　get　one　of　her　legs　free　from　the　killer's　jaws；　because　now　she　was　using　it　to　kick　down　hard　on　the　big　whale's　snout。　
　〃You　motherfucker！〃　she　screamed。　〃I'm　gonna　fucking　kill　you！〃　But　it　had　her　by　the　other　leg　and　it　wasn't　letting　go。　
　Abruptly　Mother　shot　forward　in　the　water；　raising　a　wash　of　white　waves　in　front　of　her。　The　whale　was　pushing　her　forward；　toward　Rebound　and　the　deck。　
　And　then…clang！…Mother　slammed　down　hard　against　the　edge　of　the　deck　and；　amazingly；　managed　to　get　a　handhold　on　the　metal　grating。　
　〃Fucking　kill　you！　You　son　of　a　bitchl〃　Mother　yelled　through　clenched　teeth。　
　Rebound　dived　forward　and　grabbed　her　hand　as　she　grimly　held　the　deck　and　struggled　with　the　killer　whale　in　a　tug…of…war　over　her　own　body。　
　Then　Rebound　saw　Mother　draw　her　powerful　Colt　automatic　pistol　from　its　holster　and　level　it　at　the　killer　whale's　head。　〃Oh；　fuck　me　。。。；〃　Rebound　said。　
　〃You　want　to　eat　something；　baby？〃　Mother　said　to　the　whale。　〃Eat　this。〃　
　She　fired。　
　A　small　blast　of　yellow　light　flared　out　from　the　muzzle　of　Mother's　gun　as　the　flash　of　her　pistol　ignited　the　gaseous　air　around　her。　Both　she　and　Rebound　were　hurled　a　full　five　yards　backward　onto　the　deck　by　the　concussion　wave。　
　The　whale　wasn't　so　lucky。　As　soon　as　the　bullet　entered　its　brain；　the　killer　convulsed　violently　backward；　snapping　upward。　Then　it　just　fell　limply　back　into　the　water　amid　a　cloud　of　its　own　blood；　its　final　prize…garnered　in　the　split　second　before　it　died…a　portion　of　Mother's　left　leg。　Everything　from　the　left　knee　down。　
　
　Schofield　and　Kirsty　were　still　out　in　the　middle　of　the　pool；　caught　halfway　between　the　diving　bell　in　the　center　and　the　deck　twenty…five　feet　away。　
　With　their　backs　pressed　against　each　other；　they　both　looked　fearfully　about　themselves。　The　water　around　them　was　ominously　still。　Quiet。　Calm。　
　〃Mister；〃　Kirsty　said；　her　voice　barely　a　whisper。　Her　jaw　was　quivering；　a　bination　of　fear　and　cold。　
　〃What？〃　Schofield　kept　his　eyes　trained　on　the　water　around　him。　
　〃I'm　scared。〃　
　〃Scared？〃　Schofield　said；　not　exactly　hiding　his　own　fear　very　well。　〃I　didn't　think　kids　these　days　were　afraid　of　anything。　Don't　they　have　this　kind　of　stuff　at　Sea　World…〃　
　At　that　moment；　one　of　the　killer　whales　shot　up　out　of　the　water　right　in　front　of　Schofield。　It　rose　out　of　the　water　and　arced　down　fast；　heading　right　for　him　and　Kirsty！　
　〃Go　under！〃　Schofield　yelled　as　he　saw　the　two　rows　of　jagged　white　teeth　open　wide　in　front　of　him。　
　He　held　his　breath　and　ducked　underwater；　pulling　Kirsty　down　with　him。　
　The　world　suddenly　went　silent　as　the　killer　whale's　immense　white　underbelly　thundered　over　the　top　of　them　at　incredible　speed。　It　brushed　roughly　against　the　top　of　Schofield's　helmet　as　it　pounded　back　into　the　water　right　above　their　heads。　
　Schofield　and　Kirsty　burst　back　up　above　the　surface；　gasped　for　air。　
　Schofield　quickly　looked　left：　saw　Rebound　and　Mother　on　the　deck。　Looked　right：　saw　Sarah　and　Abby；　also　safely　up　on　the　deck；　quickly　moving　away　from　the　edge。　
　He　spun　around：　saw　another　Frenchman　get　yanked　under。　The　two　remaining　French　mandos　were　just　reaching　the　edge　of　the　pool。　They'd　had　to　swim　farther　than　everyone　else；　having　landed　closest　to　the　middle　of　the　pool。　
　Serves　them　right；　Schofield　thought。　
　He　looked　up：　and　immediately　saw　the　retractable　bridge　that　spanned　the　width　of　the　station　from　either　side　of　C…deck。　
　Just　then；　a　deafening　explosion　boomed　out　from　the　alcove　on　the　C…deck　catwalk　and　an　unbelievably　huge　tongue　of　fire　shot　out　over　the　whole　of　the　central　shaft　of　the　station。　
　Schofield　knew　what　had　happened　immediately…the　French　soldiers　up　on　A…deck；　deprived　of　the　use　of　their　guns；　were　now　tossing　grenades　down　into　the　shaft。　Sharp　thinking。　A　grenade　detonating　in　this　flammable　atmosphere　would　do　twice　as　much　damage　as　it　would　normally。　Their　first　target；　Schofield　noticed；　had　been　the　alcove　he　and　Gant　had　been　hiding　in　before。　
　Suddenly　something　emerged　from　the　fireball　that　had　consumed　the　alcove。　
　It　was　large　and　gray；　square…shaped；　and　it　tumbled　end…over…end　out　into　the　central　shaft　of　the　station。　It　fell　fast；　cutting　through　the　air；　its　immense　weight　driving　it　downward。　With　a　thunderous　crash；　the　four…hundred…pound　ejection　seat　that　had　been　sitting　in　front　of　the　console　in　the　C…deck　alcove　came　smashing　down　onto　the　deck　that　surrounded　the　pool　at　the　bottom　of　the　station。　It　weighed　so　much　and　landed　so　hard　that　it　dented　the　thick　metal　deck